Spain Wins Their 1st World Cup

By: Joseph Vozzelli

A cool, crisp evening in the South African city of Johannesburg awaited a first time winner of the FIFA World Cup. Faces etched with fatigue and bodies ready to collapse, the players knew that one goal might well be enough to win.

Spain and the Netherlands have been labeled as underachievers throughout their time on the World stage, as their results have never matched their talent. Before South Africa, Spain had never reached the semifinals of the World Cup. The Dutch, on the other hand, reached the World Cup final twice before losing to the host nations (West Germany in 1974 and Argentina in 1978).

After the Spaniards dropped their opening game against Switzerland 1-0, “La Roja” appeared headed for another disappointing World Cup showing. However, the second-ranked team in the FIFA world rankings rallied, winning their next five games.

In the 109th minute of the Final, Dutch Defender John Heitinga was sent off by Referee Howard Webb because he had accumulated two yellow cards over the course of the match. Holland would have to survive the final eleven minutes with ten players.

Over 115 minutes passed by and neither España nor Holland were able to light up the scoreboard. Nearly 85,000 spectators at Soccer City Stadium grew anxious and restless, knowing that one mistake could decide the game.

In the 116th minute, a miscommunication by the Dutch defenders was enough to stem the tide in favor of “La Roja.” Cesc Fábregas recovered the ball, just outside the penalty box, and passed it to fellow midfielder Andrés Iniesta. From eight yards away, Iniesta uncorked a right-footed shot, which whizzed by the outstretched arms of Dutch Goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and onto the back of the net.

Iniesta stormed toward the sideline, tearing off his jersey and was mobbed by his teammates.

Spain was able to hold on for four minutes and injury time to win its first ever World Cup title. The World Cup championship coupled with the UEFA EURO 2008 triumph signifies that Spain is the first European team to hold the two trophies at the same time.

“We have all done an incredible job,” Iniesta said Sunday night, shortly after his 116th minute goal, which was the latest extra time, game-winning goal in World Cup Final history. “I don’t think we even realize what we have done.”

The Final match, a test of attrition and endurance, was marred by physical play that truly bordered on dirty play throughout. A Finals record fourteen yellow cards were issued during the course of the match, with the Dutch receiving nine of them.

Holland’s strategy throughout the tournament involved the use of physicality in order to wear down its opponent. This style is not exactly fun to watch on television, but was effective throughout the tournament. In fact, Holland, winners of 25 consecutive international matches, had a perfect 6-0 record in the World Cup and was also undefeated during World Cup qualifying.

However, the Dutch’s physicality betrayed them in the World Cup Final. Holland was whistled 28 times for fouls preventing them from possessing the ball, which is crucial to winning soccer matches. In fact, the Netherlands had its worst-ever passing day in a World Cup match, completing only 69 percent of its passes.

Despite the team’s inept offensive performance, Holland Midfielder Arjen Robben was the most dangerous player of the match. In the 62nd minute, he received a ball thrown in by Wesley Sneijder and launched a powerful shot. España Goaltender Captain Iker Casillas used his right leg to deflect the shot just wide of a gaping net.

“You felt that the team that would score first would win,” Dutch Coach Bert van Marwijk said. “We had two great chances through Arjen. We made a real game out of it.”

This Final loss by the Dutch was perhaps their most disappointing World Cup result. Their other two losses were against the host nation, but this time, Holland fans were in the majority, soaking Soccer City in orange.

“La Roja” had pockets of supporters as well, with fans dressed in red and scattered throughout the stadium. Among those cheering were Queen Sofia, the ATP World Tour’s #1 ranked Rafael Nadal, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Pau Gasol, owner of two NBA championship rings.

Spanish Captain Iker Casillas accepted the trophy from FIFA President Sepp Blatter, lifting the gold prize as cameras flashed and confetti fell from the sky.

“This really is quite a cup,” Casillas said. “The European Championship was the most important moment of our lives, but today is much bigger than anything else.”

“They made it very difficult for us to play comfortably,” Spanish Coach Vicente del Bosque said. “It was a very intense match.”

The world’s greatest tournament saw Spain become the first European team to win outside of the continent. Spain joined seven other World Cup champions: Brazil, Italy, Germany, Uruguay, Argentina, England, and France.

Third Place Game

Three-time World Cup champion Germany defeated two-time champion Uruguay 3-2 in the third place match. Pouring rain created a ragged field, which resulted in a high-scoring matchup at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. Sami Khedira notched an 82nd minute goal to give Germany a 3-2 victory and third place finish for the second consecutive World Cup.

Looking forward

Brazil, the host nation in 2014, will be the overwhelming favorite to win their sixth World Cup championship. The “Samba Kings,” if at full power, might even be unbeatable; however, much can change over the course of four years.

As for the United States national team, many questions remain in terms of personnel and the players. Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan will have to avoid injuries as they progress into their early 30s, when production decreases for footballers. Also, youngsters Jozy Altidore and injured star Charlie Davies may hold the key to a deep run.

U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati remained tight-lipped regarding manager Bob Bradley’s future. Bradley would have been fired right away had Donovan not scored that goal in injury time against Algeria. Bradley will most likely be fired if Gulati wants a better strategic coach.